Jay Slater's heartbroken family WILL continue searching for their teenager as police call off two-week manhunt, leaving them without answers

Jay Slater's heartbroken family have vowed to continue searching for the missing teenager after police called off the search after 14 days.

The Sun has learned that the family have not given up hope of finding Jay, with a family friend stressing that “nothing has changed.”

The search for Jay Slater has been called off, leaving his family heartbrokenPhoto credit: FacebookJay's parents Debbie and Warren were in Tenerife to find answersPhoto credit: Ian WhittakerJay was a 19-year-old apprentice from Oswaldtwistle in LancashirePhoto credit: Ian WhittakerJay's father Warren called on the police to expand the search and criticized trolls on the InternetPhoto credit: Ian WhittakerThe Spanish Guardia Civil announced today that the search was overPhoto credit: Doug Seeburg

Rachel Hargreaves, a close family friend who joined them on the Canary Island, said: “Nothing has changed. We will continue to search for him.”

Previously, the Spanish police had abruptly stopped the search for Jay after a two-week search had yielded no trace of the teenager.

And in an exclusive interview with The Sun, a family source said Jay's parents and family were “heartbroken and devastated” by the Guardia Civil's decision.

It comes as…

Parents Debbie and Warren and their brother Zak are all in Tenerife and are still looking for answers to the question of what happened to Jay.

The devastated family of the Lancashire teenager still do not know what happened on June 17 when he disappeared.

The family said they feel “a sense of dismay” that Jay remains missing in Tenerife and plan to take matters into their own hands and continue the search.

Jay's father Warren had previously burst into tears and told The Sun that his life was now “hell on earth”.

Warren, 58, said: “I just want him found. I just want my son back, stop it.”

The police on the Spanish island have called off the search but announced that they will continue to investigate the case if any important clues or information arrive.

Confirmation of this dramatic development came less than 24 hours after the launch of a “final offensive”.

Around 30 police officers, firefighters and members of the civil defence – together with a handful of volunteers – went to the mountains of Masca.

The manhunt focused on Jay's last known whereabouts, but found no trace of the man from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire.

A spokeswoman for the Guardia Civil said today: “The search operation has now ended, but the case is still open.”

A well-informed source added: “The daily operation that was underway in and around Masca, near where Jay was last seen, has been suspended.

Jay Slater's best friend says he heard him “slipping on rocks” in a sensational final video call with his daughter before he disappeared

“However, if information is received that justifies a new search, we will act accordingly.

“As far as I know, Jay’s parents have been informed of this obviously important development.

“No significant finds were made during yesterday’s large-scale search.”

Father Warren also asked anyone with information to come forward.

Police searched the ravine of the village of MascaSpecial tracking dogs were also used in the searchPhoto credit: Ian Whittaker

He had previously said: “What's more? It's been a week now, a week without anything. So someone, somewhere, must have found out something. Someone.”

“It's hell on earth. Unless you experience it yourself, you can't explain it.

“I don't think he's still in that mountain. The police have made every effort to find him. It's desolate and barren.

“The authorities have done everything they can in the search. Everyone is looking for him up there.”

Warren has put up “Missing Person” posters in the village of Santiago del Teide.

The tearful father also shared a grainy surveillance camera video that he believes may show his son.

JAY NOTES

The young Brit disappeared on June 17 after a night at the NRG festival at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas.

He was last seen with the two mysterious men in the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island.

The next morning, he called his girlfriend Lucy one last time in a panic and told her that he was stranded “in the middle of nowhere.”

A panicked Jay, who faced an 11-hour walk back to the hotel, told her he needed water and his phone battery was only one percent left.

His other friend, Brad Hargreaves, reported a second call in which Jay told him he had strayed from the main trail – leading to speculation that he may have slipped on rocks.

Brad said he heard the missing teenager slipping on rocks during a recent video call.

The disappearance sparked a desperate, round-the-clock search; his heartbroken mother and family flew to the island to join the hunt.

Rescue teams concentrated their efforts on the 600-meter-deep Masca Gorge, near Jay's last known location – the abandoned Teno Nature Reserve.

On Thursday, they turned their attention to caves near Los Carrizales — about an hour and a half's walk from the Airbnb accommodation where Jay went with the two men.

Bricklayer's apprentice Jay had flown with his friends Lucy and Brad to the New Rave Generation (NRG) festival in Tenerife, which ended on Sunday.

His last Snapchat image was a blurry picture of a hand holding cigarettes in Buenavista del Norte, located in the Park Rural de Teno, around 7:30 a.m. on Monday.

It was shot at the location he visited with the two men he met at the club – with haunting images showing the inside of the Airbnb.

It is claimed that before his disappearance he was seen by locals “walking alone”.

Five questions about Jay Slater's disappearance still unanswered

Rolex disappeared after “brawl”

On Saturday morning, police launched a new investigation into the theft of a Rolex watch that occurred just hours before Jay's disappearance.

It is not entirely clear what connection it has to Jay's disappearance, but one of Jay's friends told investigators that the suspected theft may have prompted Jay to go out on his own to look for the watch.

The Rolex disappeared when a fight broke out at the club where Jay was partying and investigators questioned taxi drivers and bar staff present on the Strip.

Police exonerate duo

Two mysterious Britons who were partying with Jay Slater on the night of his disappearance were classified as “not relevant” by investigators.

Investigator Mark Williams-Thomas said the men had been staying with Jay in an Airbnb cabin in Tenerife before he disappeared.

They are both said to be in their late 30s or early 40s and from Luton, Bedfordshire, with one nicknamed “Johnny Vegas”.

The men were simply asked to speak briefly to the police before being allowed to fly back to Britain.

Only six volunteers for “big” search

Yesterday, Tenerife police launched a new, “large-scale” search operation with the help of volunteers to find the 19-year-old Briton.

However, only six volunteers reportedly showed up, claimed 29-year-old TikToker Paul Arnott, who flew in to help with the search.

Jay's father Warren and older brother Zak were seen at the search site.

The searched area is a 600-meter-deep gorge through which a steep hiking trail leads down to the sea.

Mysterious last phone calls

Jay's last phone call with his girlfriend Lucy Law is shrouded in mystery and raises numerous questions.

The 18-year-old woman told reporters that Jay called her in a panic around 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 17.

She remembered him saying he could no longer catch the bus and wanted to walk back to his apartment.

Jay told her that his phone was almost dead, that he had cut his leg on a prickly cactus, and that he desperately needed a drink.

Phone is pinged

Search teams limited their efforts to a small group of buildings near where Jay's phone last beeped, but found nothing last week.

Jay and two men took a 45-minute drive to an Airbnb near Masco in the Rural de Teno, a national park in the north of the island.

He posted a picture of the £40-a-night accommodation on Snapchat at around 7.30am, apparently showing him holding a cigarette and walking down some stone steps.

After Jay decided to leave the cottage, he called Lucy before his cell phone died at 8:50 a.m. near a hiking trail in the park.

Missing person posters were put up on TenerifePhoto credit: Ian WhittakerTenerife police said officers would investigate the case further if there were any significant clues or information.Photo credit: PADrones were used in the searchPhoto credit: Reuters